TIGER

Sitting next to Chao, Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 17. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

The U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal agencies have to come up with a 5% reduction in their budgets for next year, President Donald Trump told his Cabinet during a recent meeting at the White House.

The country’s top transportation officer is scheduled to defend President Donald Trump’s request to reduce the U.S. Department of Transportation’s discretionary budget by 19% when she testifies before a House panel April 12.

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao joined elected officials and transportation representatives to launch a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant project in Loudoun County, Va., on March 28.

The replacement of two freight rail approaches in Indiana, and the replacement of three bridges in rural Maine were among the projects recently awarded grants, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced March 9.

A program popular with state and local agencies that provides federal infrastructure grants would be denied funding under the Trump administration’s fiscal 2019 budget request released Feb. 12, which also would significantly reduce the Department of Transportation’s budget.

States and cities seeking additional funding to help pay for large-scale infrastructure projects will be able to apply for grants under an Obama-era program, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Sept.